“DODGING HUSBANDS”

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20887, 19 August 1939, Page 6

“DODGING HUSBANDS”

'divorce a convenience ! TWO UNDEFENDED ACTIONS j 1 COMMENTS BV JUDGE “I am not the chief divorce j agent for half the wives and ! dodging husbands in New Zealand who regard divorce as a matter of convenience,” said Mr Justice Blair in the Supreme Court, Hamilton, to-day when referring to a divorce action in which petitioner proceeded on the grounds of a ■ separation agreement. J Two undefended actions were heard j this morning when the court was re- j | sumed after having been adjourned for two days owing to the illness of the judge. The case to which His Honour re- j ferred was one in which Walter Lisle Tve, a grader driver of Tauranga, sought a divorce from Isobel Louise ! Tve: Petitioner was represented by Mr A. G. Ward who was acting on inj struction from Tauranga. I Petitioner said he married respondent at Cambridge in 1920. A separa- ! tion agreement was drawn up in j January, 1930. and since then the agreement had been in full force. Maintenance Not Paid Evidence that the parties had been ' living apart was given by the inainten- ; ance officer, Mr M. Mac Cormack, who ; was introduced to the affair when . petitioner failed to pay his mainten- j j ance. I ‘‘As far as petitioner is concerned I • the agreement has not been in full ; force and effect, for he has not com- ; pletely complied with it,” said His Honour. “A man cannot take out the parts that suit him and just ignore the others in respect of such an , agreement. If the agreement had been ' in full l*oree Mr MacUormack would not have come into the picture at all. 1 have no patience with men who try to dodge their responsibilities. I am not a chief divorce agent for hall’ the i wives and dodging husbands in New j Zealand, for petitioner seems to be one j of the latter.” ; The case was stood down until Monday to allow Mr Ward to confer with his principals in Tauranga. A Decree Granted Proceeding on the grounds of adul- ! try, Norman Neil Clark, a cook, of Te Kuiti (Mr D. Seymour) was granted a ! decree nisi, to be made absoLute after j three months, from Sybil Hope Clark. Douglas Wilson, a labourer of Mangapeehi was cited as co-respondent. Petitioner stated that he married respondent at Palmerston North In 1929. There were two children of the marriage. In 1937 respondent left him and since then was living with co-respondent at Mangapeehi. ■ | Costs were given against co- ! respondent.